“CPA GRATEFUL FOR COMMUNITY DIALOGUE
THAT HELPS CREATE A BETTER PRIDE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL”

Washington, DC, April 25, 2018 – Today, Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) announced several updates related to the community’s on-going dialogue as we approach another season of Pride. The past year has seen continued attacks on and erosion of LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance, and this Pride it is more important than ever to come together in all our elements to demonstrate our resilience and strength in the national capital region, across the country, and around the world.

“We believe strongly in the spirit of our Pride theme this year, ‘Elements of Us,’“ said CPA Executive Director Ryan Bos. “Every LGBTQ+ and allied person’s life is composed of a kaleidoscope of identity, including race, sexuality, gender, ability, age, spirituality, experience, beliefs, goals, and so much more. Who we are links us to each other and to the LGBTQ+ community,” continued Bos. “Since our founding, Capital Pride has strived to respond to the individual and collective concerns of our diverse community and worked to respect and address them. I am proud of the progress we have made in several areas, and committed to continuing the work to be better, while continuing to provide a space for a Pride experience that encompasses the many aspects and opinions of what makes our communities so unique,” concluded Bos.

“It has been a year of work and progress for CPA as we enter Pride season,” said Board President Ashley Smith. “We have continued to build more inclusive relationships and we will include anyone who brings their authentic self and who wants to share their elements through our events. We will continue making programmatic changes that better reflect the diverse issues, viewpoints, and concerns of all our communities,” continued Smith.

“The LGBTQ+ community is exceptionally diverse and includes many people with opposing views on a wide range of issues. That includes law enforcement, veterans and active members of the military, local businesses, corporations, and the defense industry. It also includes those who take issue with the actions of political, educational, corporate, and other institutions. CPA’s mission must find a way to create an environment that fosters dialogue, allows for a diversity of thought, and provides a space for a positive experience at Pride that is safe and affirming,” concluded Smith.

Over the last year, the CPA Board and volunteers have carefully considered all the experiences and feedback received from diverse organizations and individuals, and our goal remains ensuring a safe, positive and memorable Pride experience for all members of our community.

Below is an update and summary of actions and results taken by the Capital Pride Alliance in the past year:

Capital Pride Alliance conducted an open call for Board members and several new members joined our team, and the Board now has even greater diversity and representation of our community to include new trans members, women, and members of the POC Community. The number of Board members has also increased, in accordance with our bylaws and allowing for greater inclusion of thought and voices from all parts of our community;

Our Board leadership team has changed and diversified from years past to include a person of color as the President of the Board and a woman to the leadership team;

Our Volunteer leadership team has expanded with the announcement of Chairs for our premiere events, representing greater diversity to include women, trans leaders, and people of color;

We will continue to work with MPD and other organizations on their presence in any CPA activities, taking into account the concerns of community organizations;

CPA has begun a process of engaging our community partners on a variety of topics to ensure we are inclusive in our actions. We look forward to this continued effort and are focusing on youth, POC, and trans communities and others.

Regarding corporate sponsorship, CPA has created the following corporate sponsorship guidelines:

Capital Pride strives to create spaces where all members of our community can celebrate together regardless of differences or disagreements;

Sponsors will demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through tangible measures such as strong or continually improving HRC CEI scores;

Groups designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center will not be permitted to sponsor or participate;

Capital Pride reserves the right to make decisions on individual sponsors based on their mission and actions, as well as feedback from our community.

Finally, CPA is proud to have created a new Pride Legacy Fund to provide grants that are available to small non-profit organizations in order to support participation by those organizations at Pride events. In addition, this fund supports our expanded volunteer program, which assists our LGBTQ+ community throughout the year.

Pride 2018 is just weeks away, and we look forward to a month filled with programs, events, and the Parade and Festival. All of the Capital Pride team members are ready to do everything they can to provide a welcome space for everyone in our communities.

The Capital Pride Alliance, through its stewardship of diverse programming and events, specifically year-round LGBTQ+ Pride festivities centered in Washington, DC and the National Capital Region, serves to celebrate, educate, support, and inspire our multi-faceted communities in order to grow and preserve our history and protect our rights for current and future generations. Learn More